Astronomy Research at Queen Mary
Lead Research Organisation:
Queen Mary University of London
Department Name: Astronomy Unit
Abstract
We propose to undertake the following research projects.
i) We will use supercomputer simulations to model the gas discs that orbit young stars,
which are believed to be the sites of planet formation.
The aim is to examine the behaviour of the gas as it orbits around the star, and to
examine how planets that form in these discs interact with them. This interaction
may explain the fact that many of the extrasolar planets that have been discovered
outside of our solar system orbit close to their host stars.
ii) We will use supercomputer simulations to model the atmospheres of extrasolar
planets. These atmospheres display interesting patterns of gas flow, and extrasolar planets
often orbit close to their stars and so are strongly heated on one side, causing strong winds
to arise. The simulations will help us better understand these atmospheres.
iii) Using mathematical representations of the laws of physics, we will produce new models
for the early evolution of the Universe, shortly after the big-bang, during which time it
underwent very rapid expansion known as "inflation". The models will be compared with
observations of the Universe to see which ones are compatible with the data.
iv) We will use Einstein's theory of gravity to make detailed predictions about the distribution
of matter in the Universe, and how this matter distribution appears to an observer on Earth.
These predictions will be compared with observational data to test Einstein's gravity on the
largest scales.
v) We will use the access that we have to the next generation of infrared spectrographs to
look for low mass planets around nearby low mass stars, using measurements of the star's
radial velocity as it orbits around the system centre of mass. Low mass stars are the optimal
targets for finding low mass planets in their habitable zone, so this may be an efficient method
of finding the first habitable earth-like planets. We will also use these spectrographs to look
for the signatures of molecules in planet atmospheres.
vi) We will use an observational survey of the Universe being undertaken by the VISTA
telescope to search for very distant quasars - galaxies that have supermassive black holes
at their centres, and which were born when the Universe was less than 10% of its
current age. We have already discovered the 2nd, 3rd and 4th most distant quasars that
are known, and the aim is to increase this number to about 10. We will then be able
to estimate of how many quasars there were when the Universe was very young,
and we will be able to examine the black holes and the structures of their galaxies.
i) We will use supercomputer simulations to model the gas discs that orbit young stars,
which are believed to be the sites of planet formation.
The aim is to examine the behaviour of the gas as it orbits around the star, and to
examine how planets that form in these discs interact with them. This interaction
may explain the fact that many of the extrasolar planets that have been discovered
outside of our solar system orbit close to their host stars.
ii) We will use supercomputer simulations to model the atmospheres of extrasolar
planets. These atmospheres display interesting patterns of gas flow, and extrasolar planets
often orbit close to their stars and so are strongly heated on one side, causing strong winds
to arise. The simulations will help us better understand these atmospheres.
iii) Using mathematical representations of the laws of physics, we will produce new models
for the early evolution of the Universe, shortly after the big-bang, during which time it
underwent very rapid expansion known as "inflation". The models will be compared with
observations of the Universe to see which ones are compatible with the data.
iv) We will use Einstein's theory of gravity to make detailed predictions about the distribution
of matter in the Universe, and how this matter distribution appears to an observer on Earth.
These predictions will be compared with observational data to test Einstein's gravity on the
largest scales.
v) We will use the access that we have to the next generation of infrared spectrographs to
look for low mass planets around nearby low mass stars, using measurements of the star's
radial velocity as it orbits around the system centre of mass. Low mass stars are the optimal
targets for finding low mass planets in their habitable zone, so this may be an efficient method
of finding the first habitable earth-like planets. We will also use these spectrographs to look
for the signatures of molecules in planet atmospheres.
vi) We will use an observational survey of the Universe being undertaken by the VISTA
telescope to search for very distant quasars - galaxies that have supermassive black holes
at their centres, and which were born when the Universe was less than 10% of its
current age. We have already discovered the 2nd, 3rd and 4th most distant quasars that
are known, and the aim is to increase this number to about 10. We will then be able
to estimate of how many quasars there were when the Universe was very young,
and we will be able to examine the black holes and the structures of their galaxies.
Planned Impact
The research proposed in this application is largely concerned with basic
scientific inquiry, and so in general it will not have high potential for
immediate economic or real world impact. The primary impact of the research
will be in the cultural sphere, as the research will increase the sum total of
human knowledge about the Universe and its constituents, and will therefore
enhance the sense of wonder about the world that we live in for the general public.
Our research in areas such as cosmology, extrasolar planets, quasars, black holes,
the Saturn system, space weather, and the origin of the Solar System all have
strong public appeal and interest.
The Astronomy Unit has an active programme of public engagement and
schools outreach, both to inform and engage the general public about our
research, and to also inspire school pupils to become interested in science
and to take STEM subjects post-GCSE. These engagement programmes
include giving public talks, having open days and evenings at the university
(e.g. Stargazing Live! events etc), and a range of media work that includes
TV and radio interviews. Our schools outreach programmes include summer schools,
essay writing competitions, going into schools to give talks and provide hands-on activities.
A recent initiative is a summer school for school students to learn about computer
coding while undertaking hands-on analysis of astronomical data. In doing this we are explicitly
supporting the STEM agenda through our research, which is a key government policy for building
long term economic growth.
Other areas of our research that may have applications outside of the academic sphere
include high performance computing and the development of advanced computer codes
and algorithms, and in advanced techniques in data analysis. Again, we will be alert to any
opportunities that may arise in finding real world or commercial applications of this work.
Finally, the posdoctoral staff that we will employ on the grant will receive training and
experience in a variety of skills that will be of great benefit to the wider economy if
they at some stage leave academia and work in industry or the commercial sector.
These skills include advanced computing and data analysis, independent problem
solving, project management, report writing through authorship of scientific
publications, and presentation skills obtained from conference attendance etc.
scientific inquiry, and so in general it will not have high potential for
immediate economic or real world impact. The primary impact of the research
will be in the cultural sphere, as the research will increase the sum total of
human knowledge about the Universe and its constituents, and will therefore
enhance the sense of wonder about the world that we live in for the general public.
Our research in areas such as cosmology, extrasolar planets, quasars, black holes,
the Saturn system, space weather, and the origin of the Solar System all have
strong public appeal and interest.
The Astronomy Unit has an active programme of public engagement and
schools outreach, both to inform and engage the general public about our
research, and to also inspire school pupils to become interested in science
and to take STEM subjects post-GCSE. These engagement programmes
include giving public talks, having open days and evenings at the university
(e.g. Stargazing Live! events etc), and a range of media work that includes
TV and radio interviews. Our schools outreach programmes include summer schools,
essay writing competitions, going into schools to give talks and provide hands-on activities.
A recent initiative is a summer school for school students to learn about computer
coding while undertaking hands-on analysis of astronomical data. In doing this we are explicitly
supporting the STEM agenda through our research, which is a key government policy for building
long term economic growth.
Other areas of our research that may have applications outside of the academic sphere
include high performance computing and the development of advanced computer codes
and algorithms, and in advanced techniques in data analysis. Again, we will be alert to any
opportunities that may arise in finding real world or commercial applications of this work.
Finally, the posdoctoral staff that we will employ on the grant will receive training and
experience in a variety of skills that will be of great benefit to the wider economy if
they at some stage leave academia and work in industry or the commercial sector.
These skills include advanced computing and data analysis, independent problem
solving, project management, report writing through authorship of scientific
publications, and presentation skills obtained from conference attendance etc.
Publications
Barnes J
(2017)
Recovering planet radial velocity signals in the presence of starspot activity in fully convective stars
in Monthly Notices of the Royal Astronomical Society
Wren A
(2017)
Double power series method for approximating cosmological perturbations
in Physical Review D
Riols A
(2017)
Gravitoturbulence and the excitation of small-scale parametric instability in astrophysical discs
in Monthly Notices of the Royal Astronomical Society
Anglada G
(2017)
ALMA Discovery of Dust Belts around Proxima Centauri
in The Astrophysical Journal
Paardekooper S
(2017)
Multidimensional upwind hydrodynamics on unstructured meshes using graphics processing units - I. Two-dimensional uniform meshes
in Monthly Notices of the Royal Astronomical Society
Wittenmyer R
(2017)
The Anglo-Australian Planet Search. XXV. A Candidate Massive Saturn Analog Orbiting HD 30177
in The Astronomical Journal
Strachan J
(2017)
A differential least-squares deconvolution method for high precision spectroscopy of stars and exoplanets - I. Application to obliquity measurements of HARPS observations of HD189733b
in Monthly Notices of the Royal Astronomical Society
Boss A
(2017)
Astrometric Constraints on the Masses of Long-period Gas Giant Planets in the TRAPPIST-1 Planetary System
in The Astronomical Journal
Durk J
(2017)
Exact initial data for black hole universes with a cosmological constant
in Classical and Quantum Gravity
Flock M
(2017)
Radiation Hydrodynamical Turbulence in Protoplanetary Disks: Numerical Models and Observational Constraints
in The Astrophysical Journal
Durk J
(2017)
A quasi-static approach to structure formation in black hole universes
in Journal of Cosmology and Astroparticle Physics
Feng F
(2017)
Color Difference Makes a Difference: Four Planet Candidates around t Ceti
in The Astronomical Journal
Berdiñas Z
(2017)
High-cadence spectroscopy of M-dwarfs - II. Searching for stellar pulsations with HARPS
in Monthly Notices of the Royal Astronomical Society
Goldberg S
(2017)
Perturbation theory for cosmologies with nonlinear structure
in Physical Review D
Dumusque X
(2017)
Radial-velocity fitting challenge II. First results of the analysis of the data set?
in Astronomy & Astrophysics
Bibi R
(2017)
Cosmological solutions with charged black holes
in General Relativity and Gravitation
Sanghai V
(2017)
Parameterized post-Newtonian cosmology
in Classical and Quantum Gravity
Mutter M
(2017)
The role of disc self-gravity in circumbinary planet systems - II. Planet evolution
in Monthly Notices of the Royal Astronomical Society
Coleman G
(2017)
In situ accretion of gaseous envelopes on to planetary cores embedded in evolving protoplanetary discs
in Monthly Notices of the Royal Astronomical Society
Maartens R
(2017)
The kinematic dipole in galaxy redshift surveys
Snellen I
(2017)
Detecting Proxima b's Atmosphere with JWST Targeting CO 2 at 15 µ m Using a High-pass Spectral Filtering Technique
in The Astronomical Journal
Hallam P
(2017)
The role of gap edge instabilities in setting the depth of planet gaps in protoplanetary discs
in Monthly Notices of the Royal Astronomical Society
McNally C
(2017)
Low mass planet migration in magnetically torqued dead zones - I. Static migration torque
in Monthly Notices of the Royal Astronomical Society
Sanghai V
(2017)
Ray tracing and Hubble diagrams in post-Newtonian cosmology
in Journal of Cosmology and Astroparticle Physics
Clifton T
(2017)
Persistent black holes in bouncing cosmologies
in Classical and Quantum Gravity
Goldberg S
(2017)
Perturbation theory for cosmologies with non-linear structure
Goldberg S
(2017)
Cosmology on all scales: A two-parameter perturbation expansion
in Physical Review D
Bull P.
(2018)
Fundamental Physics with the Square Kilometer Array
in arXiv e-prints
Jolicoeur S
(2018)
Imprints of local lightcone projection effects on the galaxy bispectrum. Part III. Relativistic corrections from nonlinear dynamical evolution on large-scales
in Journal of Cosmology and Astroparticle Physics
Fuentes Jorge L.
(2018)
Linear cosmological perturbations in almost scale-invariant fourth-order gravity
in arXiv e-prints
Witzemann A
(2018)
Model-independent curvature determination with 21 cm intensity mapping experiments
in Monthly Notices of the Royal Astronomical Society: Letters
Nelson R
(2018)
Handbook of Exoplanets
Reiners A
(2018)
The CARMENES search for exoplanets around M dwarfs HD147379 b: A nearby Neptune in the temperate zone of an early-M dwarf
in Astronomy & Astrophysics
McNally C
(2018)
Low mass planet migration in Hall-affected disks
Clarkson Chris
(2018)
The dipole of the galaxy bispectrum
in arXiv e-prints
Bentivegna E
(2018)
Black-hole lattices as cosmological models
in Classical and Quantum Gravity
Harrington Joseph
(2018)
Spitzer's Search for Proxima Centauri b Transits
in AAS/Division for Planetary Sciences Meeting Abstracts #50
Tuomi M.
(2018)
VizieR Online Data Catalog: Radial velocities & photometry of AD Leonis & GJ 674 (Tuomi+, 2018)
in VizieR Online Data Catalog
Ribas I
(2018)
A candidate super-Earth planet orbiting near the snow line of Barnard's star.
in Nature
Koksbang S
(2018)
Accurately computing weak lensing convergence
Gallagher C
(2018)
Relativistic Euler equations in cosmologies with nonlinear structures
in Physical Review D
Smoker J
(2018)
Very accurate cryogenic mechanisms for CRIRES+
Adamek Julian
(2018)
Bias and scatter in the Hubble diagram from cosmological large-scale structure
in arXiv e-prints
Reiners A.
(2018)
VizieR Online Data Catalog: 324 CARMENES M dwarfs velocities (Reiners+, 2018)
in VizieR Online Data Catalog
Hallam P
(2018)
Investigating the possibility of reversing giant planet migration via gap edge illumination
in Monthly Notices of the Royal Astronomical Society
Challener Ryan C.
(2018)
Improved Methods for Spitzer Systematic Identification and Removal
in AAS/Division for Planetary Sciences Meeting Abstracts #50
McNally C
(2018)
Low-mass planet migration in magnetically torqued dead zones - II. Flow-locked and runaway migration, and a torque prescription
in Monthly Notices of the Royal Astronomical Society
| Description | Astronomy Research at Queen Mary 2020 - 2023 |
| Amount | £1,868,746 (GBP) |
| Funding ID | ST/T000341/1 |
| Organisation | Science and Technologies Facilities Council (STFC) |
| Sector | Public |
| Country | United Kingdom |
| Start | 04/2020 |
| End | 03/2024 |